A SECTION of the M90 northbound between Junction 4 (Kelty) and Junction 5 (Gairneybridge) is set to benefit from carriageway resurfacing improvements starting this weekend.

This section of the M90 is used by around 13,500 vehicles every day and surface maintenance works are required to create a smoother and safer journey for road users.

The £520,000 improvements are set to begin at 7.30pm on Sunday March 8 and have been planned to take place over three days using 24-hour working, with all improvements expected to be completed by 6.30am on Thursday March 12.

The project was originally programmed to take place earlier this year but was postponed due to severe weather conditions caused by Storm Dennis and Storm Jorge. A break in the weather has allowed teams to reschedule the project to start this weekend.

To ensure roadworkers and road users are kept safe during the project, a contraflow system of traffic management will be in place on the M90 between Junction 4 (Kelty) and Junction 5 (Gairneybridge) during the works. The M90 Junction 4 northbound on-slip will also be closed for safety, a signed diversion route via the M90 southbound towards Junction 3 (Halbeath) and back on the M90 northbound will be in place for motorists.

In preparation for the project there will be overnight lane closures in place for safety on both the northbound and southbound carriageway on Friday March 6 to allow for traffic management to be installed ahead of the project. A 50mph speed restriction will remain in place over the weekend.

Consultation has taken place with local residents and stakeholders in advance of the resurfacing project to make them aware of the traffic management arrangements and to minimise any inconvenience.

Andy Thompson, BEAR Scotland’s North East Representative, said: “This £520,000 investment from Transport Scotland will allow us to carry out resurfacing improvements on this section of the M90, helping to ensure our network continues to operate at the highest standard.

“The traffic management is essential to ensure the safety of road workers and motorists during the project. To help minimise delays as much as possible, we’ve planned the improvements to take place using 24-hour working, and our teams will do all they can to complete the works as quickly and safety as possible.

“We thank motorists for their patience in advance while our teams carry out these essential improvements on the M90. We encourage road users to plan their journeys in advance by checking the Traffic Scotland website for up to date traffic information and allow some extra time to reach their destination.”

Real-time journey planning information can be obtained by visiting www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org